Maternity leave revisited

The government is considering extending paid maternity leave from 12 to 14 weeks.Unam economics professor Omu Kakujaha-Matundu says “anything that will strengthen the support to mothers” should receive backing.He says prolonging the time mothers are able to breastfeed their babies has many short- and long-term benefits, reflecting similar arguments put forward by the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC).The LAC has long proposed extending maternity leave up to six months. This is in line with the World Health Organisation's recommendation that mothers should be able to breastfeed exclusively for six months, promoting the long-term health of children, and thus, future generations. “Six months' maternity leave after the birth will have a big picture impact on the economy, promoting productivity and stimulating business. Business will benefit from staff retention, decreased absenteeism and better staff morale,” the LAC said in 2012.The LAC said the extension could be gradually introduced by adding just a week or two each year to reduce the impact on employers.It argued that allowing women more time with their babies would keep them in the labour force.“Currently some women may resign when they realise that to return to work eight weeks after the birth of their child is too soon. In contrast, six months' maternity leave after the birth would allow more women to return to the workplace.”The LAC rejected the argument that women would have more children if they were given six months' maternity leave as an “illogical assumption”.Kakujaha-Matundu agrees that longer maternity leave would benefit parents and employers alike. “Breastfed babies are less likely to be sick, not only saving the country a lot of money in terms of health spending, but is similarly good for the employer as it cuts the days mothers are absent from work to care for a sick child. So in the end, prolonged maternity leave is a win-win situation,” Kakujaha-Matundu says. He says it is not surprising that the International Labour Organisation recommends a minimum of 14 weeks' maternity leave.“It has been proven that breastfed children perform both emotionally and intellectually superior to their peers. So it is beneficial, in the long term, for employers to support the extension of maternity leave to 14 weeks.” Adhere to conventionNamibian Employers' Federation (NEF) secretary-general Tim Parkhouse agrees that maternity leave is essential for the well-being of the mother and the baby and should be encouraged. “As such the NEF does not have a problem with this increase of two weeks.”Parkhouse says although an extension would increase the cost of employment, it would mainly be felt by the state.He says the critical question to investigate is whether the maternity, sick and death (MSD) fund of the Social Security Commission (SSC) can carry the additional cost, “bearing in mind that in most cases the woman will be covered under that fund”.This could mean an increase in Social Security contributions, which now stand at 1.8% of a person's salary. If a woman is not registered with the SSC, or does not yet qualify for maternity benefits, her employer would have to carry the cost of maternity leave, Parkhouse says. He points out that Namibia's constitution requires compliance with the conventions of the ILO and as such, the 14-week maternity leave should be implemented.On the other hand, Kakujaha-Matundu warns that extended maternity leave could lead to discrimination against women, as employers would prefer to employ men.International standards Earlier this month, labour permanent secretary Bro-Matthew Shinguadja said the ministry had prioritised its review of the maternity leave benefit.Last year's Swapo congress proposed that the government revise its maternity leave policy and increase it to 14 weeks in line with the ILO recommendation.Shinguadja said the issue was being reviewed by a tripartite labour advisory council which would submit its recommendations to the labour ministry.If it is recommended that Namibia comply with the ILO convention, the minister of labour would have to initiate the amendment of the Social Security Act and the Labour Act, Shinguadja explained. JANA-MARI SMITH

Maternity leave revisited

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-01-13

Please login to leave a comment

Maternity leave revisited

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-01-13

Please login to leave a comment

Login